Adults with disabilities are among the most vulnerable in our community. Feelings of isolation, confusion, anxiety, and depression can be amplified for them during times of crisis, like COVID-19. Eggleston’s programs and services provide a sense of hope and community for hundreds of individuals with disabilities and their families throughout our region.

Your gift to Eggleston gives hope to those who need it most – now and in the months ahead.

Adam’s journey of hope:

Adam was barely out of high school when life changed forever. After graduation, Adam went to work as a plumber and was earning a decent living for his age. Able to purchase 2 vehicles, Adam had lots of friends, was in a serious relationship, and life was good. One day, after a fun trip to the Outer Banks with friends and being awake for 36 hours on caffeinated beverages, Adam fell asleep behind the wheel of his car. Despite being in his safety belt, Adam suffered a life-altering traumatic brain injury.

After a long hospital recovery, Adam was sent home to live with his family. Bound to a wheelchair, Adam required round-the-clock care. He was angry with his situation and eventually became too much for his family to manage. At only 21 years of age, the only place for someone like Adam seemed to be in a nursing home.

Adam and his family eventually found The Beacon House – an Eggleston resource that provides brain injury survivors with unique services to rehabilitate them and reconnect them to the community. Beacon House’s program manager helped Adam and his family navigate funding and housing resources that allowed Adam to have a more independent life.

Twenty years later, Adam attends The Beacon House 5 days a week. Beacon House gives him a sense of hope and allows him to continue his journey of rehabilitation. At Beacon House Adam has a sense of connection and community – minimizing the isolation that so many people face after a brain injury. He is also able to give back to the community by sharing his story with 4,800 driver’s education students in all of the Virginia Beach public schools each year. When you support Eggleston, you support programs that empower people like Adam.

Jamie’s story of hope:

At age 20, Jamie had never been to the beach. She’d never had a chance to feel the waves rush over her feet – a feeling that most of us take for granted. For Jamie, not only was getting near the beach difficult, but the ability to simply walk through the sand to put her toes in the water was nearly impossible with her wheelchair and no one to physically help her. Then Jamie came to her first summer camp at Eggleston’s Camp Civitan. One of the activities planned was a day at the beach which included transportation and support staff that made Jamie’s first time at the beach, toes in the water and all- a reality.

Each year, thanks to the generosity of our donors, Jamie and nearly 200 other adults with disabilities experience new adventures and life-enriching activities during Eggleston’s Camp Civitan.